by Richard Nowacki

Created on: May 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Bananas are the "super fruit" no one knows about. They are affordable, require no washing unless you want to eat the outer skin as some Indian dishes do, and they can be eaten raw. Besides that there are numerous dietary benefits and a number of surprising uses.

For the average banana of the bunch (7" long and 126 grams in weight) there is only 110 calories, 400mg of Potassium, 4g of dietary Fiber, 14.8g of natural Sugar, 1g of Protein, 16% of daily recommended Vitamin C intake and 20% of Vitamin B6's daily recommended value plus .4g of Iron.

Potassium is very beneficial to ingest. A regular intake of potassium reduces the body's secretion of calcium into the urine which minimizes the risk of kidney stones. Potassium also helps deliver oxygen to the brain increasing potential activity; it increases the strength of heart beats, maintains water balance in the body and reduces strokes. If you are an active person Potassium will help speed up reflexes by oxygenating your muscles properly.

During the low point of your day bananas are an excellent source of natural energy. Being that they have no caffeine there is not a "crash" and the energy lasts longer being that it's natural. Besides giving you energy Bananas give you good vibrations in the form of Dopamine and serotonin which are neurotransmitters helping your brain cells communicate with each other. There is also a generous portion of Tryptophan, the same chemical that has made Turkey famous, to keep you calm and relaxed. If you're quitting smoking an increase in banana intake would be a key tool in your box for this fact. On top of that bananas are great for your blood as well, they promote hemoglobin production which aids in blood clotting and regulates blood glucose levels. They also reduce acid in the stomach with stops the risk of ulcers and heart burn.

Do you have any warts you would like to get rid of? If so take the outside of the peel and wrap it around the affected area, use tape to hold it in place and the wart will heal exponentially quicker. If you have itchy bug bites from mosquitoes rub the inside of the peel on the area and it will stop the itch.

Let's hear it for the banana, nature's under rated "super fruit."

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